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Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Plan

Swap saturated fat for healthy fats and add soluble fibre: the two food changes that lower LDL cholesterol most. Get a week of meals that do both. Free, no sign-up, and it runs in your browser: your health details are never sent anywhere.

General guidance based on public guidelines, not a personal prescription. Check with your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you take medicines or have more than one condition.

1. Choose a condition

2. About you

Your plan

High cholesterol

LDL cholesterol falls most when saturated and trans fats are replaced with unsaturated fats and soluble fibre. Oats, barley, pulses, nuts, olive or mustard oil and oily fish twice a week all help.

Daily targets

Calories

1,880 kcal

Maintenance ≈ 1,884

Carbohydrate

235 g

50% of calories

Protein

85 g

18% of calories

Fat

67 g

32% of calories

Fibre

≥ 30 g

Sodium

≤ 2,300 mg

≈ 5.9 g salt in total

Saturated fat

≤ 13 g

Added sugar

≤ 24 g

≈ 6 tsp

  • Saturated fat under 6% of calories (AHA) and no trans fat
  • Soluble fibre 10–25 g a day: oats, barley, beans, lentils, apples, okra
  • Oily fish twice a week, or flax, chia and walnuts
  • Unsaturated oils (olive, mustard, canola, sunflower) in place of ghee and butter

What to eat

Eat more

  • Oats, barley (jau), whole grains
  • Pulses most days: daal, chana, rajma
  • Oily fish: salmon, mackerel, trout (2 times a week)
  • A handful of unsalted nuts; flax and chia seeds
  • Vegetables and fruit, especially okra, aubergine, apples and citrus

Limit

  • Red meat, chicken skin, full-fat milk, paneer, cheese, cream
  • Ghee, butter and coconut oil
  • Egg yolks: up to one a day is fine for most people

Avoid

  • Vanaspati/dalda and anything with 'partially hydrogenated oil' (trans fat)
  • Deep-fried foods: samosa, pakora, puri, fries
  • Bakery items: puffs, pastries, biscuits, cakes
  • Processed meats: sausages, salami, nuggets

7-day meal plan

Monday · about 1,930 kcal, 250 g carbs, 98 g protein, 41 g fibre, 1,764 mg sodium

Breakfast

≈ 450 kcal

Moong daal chilla with vegetables and green chutney

  • • ¾ cup moong daal (dry)
  • • ¾ cup chopped vegetables
  • • 1½ tsp oil

54 g carbs · 23 g protein · 14 g fat · 11 g fibre

Mid-morning snack

≈ 180 kcal

A pear with a few walnuts

  • • 1 pear
  • • 3 walnut halves

26 g carbs · 3 g protein · 8 g fat · 6 g fibre

Lunch

≈ 630 kcal

Chicken, carrot and potato soup with rice (mild, no onion or garlic)

  • • 150 g chicken
  • • 1½ cup carrots and potato
  • • ¾ cup cooked rice

72 g carbs · 45 g protein · 15 g fat · 6 g fibre

Afternoon snack

≈ 170 kcal

An orange with a small handful of unsalted peanuts

  • • 1 orange
  • • 15 g unsalted peanuts

18 g carbs · 7 g protein · 8 g fat · 4 g fibre

Dinner

≈ 500 kcal

Palak daal with ¾ cup brown rice and lemon

  • • 1 cup palak daal
  • • ¾ cup cooked brown rice
  • • 1 lemon

80 g carbs · 20 g protein · 10 g fat · 14 g fibre

Shopping list for the week

Vegetables & fruit

Grains & bread

Pulses & legumes

Dairy & eggs

Meat & fish

Nuts & seeds

Oils, herbs & spices

Other

Tips

  • Bake, grill, steam or air-fry instead of deep frying.
  • Measure oil: 1 teaspoon per person per dish is plenty for tadka.
  • Plant sterol-fortified foods can lower LDL a little more.

Easy swaps

  • Ghee tadkaswap for1 tsp mustard or olive oil tadka
  • Parathaswap forPlain roti
  • Cheese omeletteswap forVegetable omelette with one yolk and extra whites

When to see a doctor

  • Chest pain, pressure or breathlessness on exertion: get checked urgently.

General guidance based on public guidelines, not a personal prescription. Check with your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you take medicines or have more than one condition.

Read the full guide: Foods That Lower Cholesterol: A Practical Diet Plan

How to lower cholesterol with food

Quick answer: To lower cholesterol with food, cut saturated and trans fat, add soluble fibre every day, use healthy oils and eat oily fish twice a week.

  1. Cut saturated and trans fat. Less ghee, butter, cream, fatty meat and full-fat paneer; no vanaspati or 'partially hydrogenated' oils.
  2. Add soluble fibre every day. Oats, barley, daal, chana, rajma, okra and apples bind cholesterol in the gut.
  3. Use healthy oils. Mustard, olive, canola or sunflower oil, measured by the teaspoon.
  4. Eat oily fish twice a week. Salmon, mackerel or trout; or flax, chia and walnuts if vegetarian.

How much can diet lower cholesterol?

Cutting saturated fat to under 6% of calories and adding soluble fibre, nuts and plant sterols can lower LDL by around 10–20% in many people. Medicines like statins may still be needed, especially with heart disease or diabetes.

What about eggs?

For most people, up to one whole egg a day fits a heart-healthy diet. Egg whites have no cholesterol.

Frequently asked questions

Is ghee bad for cholesterol?

Ghee is mostly saturated fat, which raises LDL. Use it rarely and in small amounts; cook with mustard, olive or canola oil instead.

Which oil is best for cholesterol?

Oils high in unsaturated fat: olive, canola, mustard, sunflower and rice bran. Avoid coconut and palm oil as everyday oils.

Do I still need my statin?

Keep taking it unless your doctor says otherwise. Diet and statins work together.